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Laparoscopic Colon Resection Surgery in Santa Barbara
Colon resection surgery is the removal of a portion of the large intestine, or in some cases the entire colon and rectum. This procedure may be necessary due to benign or malignant tumors, diverticulitis, Crohn's disease, or volvulus. Board certified surgeon Dr. David Thoman performs laparoscopic colon resection surgery in Santa Barbara, California.
What is Laparoscopic Colon Resection Surgery in California?
The laparoscope is a fiber optic telescope that is connected to a high-resolution video camera. When performing laparoscopic colon resection surgery, Dr. Thoman makes 4 or 5 small incisions (1/4 inch) in the abdominal wall. The images from the laparoscope are projected onto a television monitor that he views in the operating room. Small, specialized surgical instruments are inserted into the abdomen to perform the surgery. The abdomen is inflated with carbon dioxide gas in order to allow the surgeon to see the abdominal structures. The gas is removed from the abdomen before the patient awakens from general anesthesia. The patient will be asleep for the entire procedure.)
A portion of the colon is removed using small, specialized instruments. The size and placement of the incision is dependent on which side of the colon is removed and the exact reason for removing it. Most specimens can be removed through an incision 2 inches or less. The same amount of colon is removed with laparoscopic surgery as would be with traditional surgery.
What Can I Expect After the Surgery?
Most patients rest in the recovery room for 2 hours after the surgery and take oral pain relievers for a few days. Patients are out of bed the day of surgery. Discharge from the hospital is usually on the third or fourth day following surgery and the majority of patients are back to normal activity in 10 to 14 days.
What Are the Benefits of Laparoscopic Colon Resection?
Laparoscopic colon resection surgery offers patients many benefits including:
- As there are small incisions, the amount of pain following surgery is reduced.
- The length of stay in the hospital is shorter than with traditional surgery.
- Return to normal activity is more rapid.
- There is evidence that the incidence of infectious complications is lower than with traditional surgery.
Dr. David Thoman
Specializes in minimally-invasive gastrointestinal and weight loss surgery. Read His Bio
"Scarless" Surgery Is Here
Dr. Thoman offers the single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) technique for this procedure. For more information, don't hesitate to call our office.
Am I a Candidate for Laparoscopic Surgery?
Most patients who require colon resection surgery are candidates to have their colon removed laparoscopically. The rare exception is when patients have a severe obstruction, or tumors too large to be removed from a small incision. Multiple large randomized trials have demonstrated the laparoscopic approach to be superior to the old-fashioned "open" approach. These trials have shown less pain and a faster recovery with typically fewer complications. They have also shown this approach to be as effective in curing cancer.*
*A critical analysis of laparoscopic colectomy at a single institution: lessons learned after 1000 cases. Senagore AJ - American Journal of Surgery - 01-MAR-2006; 191(3): 377-80.
We Are Here for You
Are you ready to learn more about laparoscopic colon resection surgery in California? Request a consultation online with Dr. David Thoman or call the office of Advanced Surgical Associates at (805) 730-1470. We see patients from Santa Barbara, Bakersfield, Fresno, San Luis Obispo County, and Ventura for laparoscopic gastrointestinal and weight loss surgery.
Related Articles
Nelson H., Sargent D., Fleshman J., Clinical outcomes of surgical therapy study group of the laparoscopic colectomy trial. A comparison of laparoscopically assisted and open colectomy for colon cancer. New England Journal of Medicine (2004) 350: pp 2050-2059.
Hazebroek E.J., Color Study Group COLOR: a randomized clinical trial comparing laparoscopic and open resection for colon cancer. Surgical Endoscopy (2002) 16: pp 949-953.
Lacy A.M., Garcia-Valdecasas J., Delgado S., Laparoscopy assisted colectomy versus open colectomy for treatment of non-metastatic colon cancer: a randomized trial. Lancet (2002) 359: pp 2224-2229.
